Self-control
An infant practices calming down after a mildly stimulating activity of touching and holding a novel ball.
[Hold the infant in your arms with his/her head well supported in the bend of your arm. Smile and make eye contact. Introduce the toy by holding it up for the infant to see and touch.]
I have a toy. Would you like to play with it?
[Pause and acknowledge infant’s response. Example: “I see you are looking at the toy. I will hold it so you can touch it.”]
[Provide mildly stimulating uses of the ball for the infant. Hold the ball close for the infant to touch if he/she wishes. Provide assistance in exploring the ball’s features, such as shape, feel, and sound. Examples: “Our ball is round. It has holes for our fingers to hold onto. “Let’s look inside. What do we see? I see lots of tiny balls in different colors!”
Follow the infant’s interest in looking at and manipulating the ball. Some infants will enjoy watching you move and touch the ball. Others may prefer to hold the ball and possibly place their mouth on exposed areas. If the infant appears disinterested or distressed at any time, remove the ball and provide comfort.
After the infant has an opportunity to fully explore the ball, put it away and explain that it is time for us to calm down. Hold the infant close to provide physical comfort, such as gently swaying back and forth in a calming motion. You also may wish to quietly sing a familiar song, or offer soft-voice reminders that it is time to rest. It may be helpful to reposition the infant to provide a clear signal that playtime with the ball is over.]
[Smile and make eye contact as you review the activity. Example: “We had fun with our new toy! You told me with your big smile that you liked to hold the ball. Then we put the ball away. I held you while you got calm again.”]
Self-control
An infant practices calming down after a mildly stimulating activity of shaking a sound-making ball.
Invite an infant to sit on your lap to play with a toy. Place the infant on your lap facing out. Introduce the ball and invite the infant to touch and hold it. Encourage the infant to hold the new toy and feel its characteristics. The infant may try to put a part of the ball in his/her mouth.
Explain that you want to shake the ball to find out how it sounds. Example: “I wonder what our ball would sound like if we shook it. Would you like me to shake it so we can listen together?” Do not shake the ball if the infant shows a clear “no” response, such as looking away or trying to push away the ball. Instead, encourage the infant to touch or hold the ball, similar to Option 1. If the infant seems interested in your shaking the ball, make sounds with the ball by moving it in front of the infant. Carefully watch the infant’s response. Shake the ball with less intensity or stop shaking the ball if the infant shows signs of not liking the sound or the action.
Self-control
An infant practices calming down after a mildly stimulating activity of rolling a sound-making ball.
Invite a mobile infant to join you on the floor to play with a new toy. Sit facing the infant and give him/her the ball to hold and feel. Encourage the infant to move or shake the ball and listen to the sound it makes. Offer to roll the ball on the floor with the infant, while listening to the sound of the rain stick inside the ball. Example: “I wonder what our ball would sound like if we rolled it on the floor. Would you like to roll the ball with me and we can listen together?” The infant may prefer for you to roll the ball. After several rolls of the ball on the floor, invite the infant to roll the ball toward you. A back-and-forth rolling exchange may emerge. Describe actions with the ball (yours and the infant’s) and emphasize the sound it is making. The colorful movement of the ball may appeal to the infant, too.
After the infant has had the opportunity to roll the ball (or watch you roll the ball), offer a reminder or brief summary of what happened with the ball. Example: “You had fun rolling the ball on the floor with me today, Sofia. We listened to the sounds it made!” Then announce it is time to put the ball away and to become calm. Example: “We put the ball away. The ball is quiet now. It is time for us to rest and become calm.” The infant may want to sit near you or on your lap. Provide quiet time and offer to pat the infant on his/her back. You also may wish to quietly hum or sing a favorite song. Offer gentle reminders that it is time to rest, if needed.
Recognize and acknowledge the infant’s behavior as he/she becomes calm after the activity. Example: “We had fun playing with our new toy! Now you are sitting with me and resting. We are feeling calm.”
The three options offered in this activity plan correspond to an infant’s motor skills in exploring the ball. Option 1 assumes an infant interested in the ball is able to touch and perhaps hold the ball, but is not yet ready to shake the ball. The Option 3 focus on rolling the ball offers the most advanced opportunity in this plan for manipulating the ball. Pay close attention to the infant’s reactions throughout the activity and make adjustments if needed. Keep in mind that an infant may have the motor skills to vigorously shake or roll the ball but this action may be too stimulating. In these instances, it is important to share control of the ball with the infant. Stop the activity and provide comfort if the infant shows any signs of distress.
It is valuable for an infant to play with the ball as long as the infant shows interest and not signs of overstimulation or fatigue. Severely limiting the playtime may prompt strong protests when the ball is taken away. But not limiting the playtime may provide too much stimulation or decrease interest in the ball. Watching the infant’s reactions will provide cues on when to transition to the calming segment of the activity.
Extra support
Enrichment
Materials Needed: clear spinning top with balls inside
Invite an infant to interact with a toy that is likely to provide mild excitement when you have time to actively support the infant’s transition to a calmer state. Infants will enjoy seeing the balls move when the top spins. Some infants will be able to help you spin the top, and others may spin it independently. When the infant begins to indicate signs of high excitement or disinterest, such as looking away or shifting focus to another activity, use a calm voice to tell the infant that playtime with the top has come to an end. Support the infant’s interest in pursuing another activity or help the infant become calm by using the strategies suggested in Options 1–3.
Materials Needed: assortment of different balls including the Oball Rollin’ Rainstick Rattle®
Children of all ages enjoy playing with new and different balls. Older children may enjoy sitting in a circle with legs wide and feet touching their neighbor to roll a ball back and forth. Toddlers may participate by being placed next to an older child to help the game progress more smoothly. Infants can be a part of the circle by sitting on your lap. Before moving on to the next activity, invite all the children to sit quietly for a few moments. You may wish to softly recite a simple rhyme while sitting with the children.
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